Start Over
by Rhylin Sweet
Summary: When you're in love, it means you love everything about that person. If that person changes...what is there left to love? Implied onesided GaaLee. Gai sadness. Lee...isn't quite Lee anymore...


Bah...

**Start Over**

He was sweating. The first time he ever regretted his state of dress. But he knew it wasn't from the hot weather. Dark eyes, filled with hope and sympathy, Gai watched his pupil, his successor, and his friend, look from him, to the book in his lap and to the mirror in his hand.

For some reason, he felt like tapping his foot. Lee looked at him again at him, squinted, the returned to the book. It was filled with pictures. Lee pointed to the third one on the page. "I had mastered Omote Renge." In the picture, Lee had his hands in the air, traditional tears of joy on his face, Gai, crying too, had his arm around Lee's shoulders.

Lee fingered his hair and looked up at Gai, almost shyly.

Gai knew what was going to happen, as soon as Lee asked for the mirror.

"You are my father, yes?"

But that didn't make it any less shocking.

Gai's eyes widened and his body stiffened. Lee noticed these miniscule changes in the man's posture and said quickly "I am so sorry! I just thought- since we look so much alike and that- these pictures!" He waved the photo album frantically, turning the pages and pointing to random pictures and babbling. "We are in every picture here and I can tell that we were very close- and I- I just thought that you…were my father…"

His frantic voice dwindled down to a nervous mumble. "I am very sorry. I did not mean to insult you. It is my own fault for getting this most troublesome injury"

Through slightly teary eyes, Gai patted Lee on the head "That's just fine. It wasn't an insult and it wasn't your fault. I just did not train you enough"

Lee looked at him again. "So…You are my sensei?" A nod. Lee smiled. "Gai….kun. Gai-kun" Gai watched him scowl slightly at the words, obviously sensing the wrong in them. Then Lee shrugged and smiled timidly at him.

"So…Gai-kun," Gai almost winced at the words. "When do I-" The door opened and Sakura walked in, Tenten and Neji behind her.

"Lee? We brought you flowers" Smiling politely, he watched them set it on his bedside table.

"Thank you ah….err…I'm sorry I can't remember…"

Gai watched Sakura's smiled falter; Tenten's eyes fill with tears and Neji's hands clench. Before Sakura could speak, Neji turned on his heel and walked out. Tenten turned to follow him, but turned back and shook her head. "He needs to be alone now" Lee nodded solemnly and Gai tuned them all out. It'd been about two weeks since Lee woke up. Tsunade warned him. Warned them all that Lee…wasn't quite Lee anymore.

Gai thought it better for him to leave, and so he did. "Where is Gai-kun going?"

The hospital walls were white. Too white. Too clean. Normally Gai would be used to this place. Having to visit Lee numerous times, or just being here himself. But whenever he would leave (Usually being forced out by the nurses) he would leave in good spirits, confident that Lee would be alright and that training would resume the next day. But Gai wasn't so sure this time.

This is one opponent that Lee has no chance of defeating. An enemy he didn't even know existed. In his head.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Do you still love him?"

Turning around, Gai faced Gaara of the Sand.

"Excuse me?"

Not turning his eyes away from him Gaara walked over and stood in front of him. Drilling his green eyes into the jounin, Gaara said softly. "Do you still love him?"

Gai sighed and rubbed his hands together. He covered his face and sighed again.

"If you mean, 'Do I love my student' then yes. I do. I love him very much."

"I see" The wind blew and Gaara shifted to his other leg. "Do you love him now?"

Gai scowled slightly. "No"

Gaara raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No…?"

Gai flexed his fingers and took a breath, letting it out in another sigh.

"Love means, deep devotion. To love someone, they must have qualities you admire yes?" Gaara nodded.

"When you love someone, whether romantically or not, you love them because they interest you. You love their personality, their style. You love them for who they are"

He looked at Gaara sharply. "If that person changes, do you still love them?"

Something flickered in Gaara eyes. "The answer if No, Gaara. You don't. If that person you love so much changes, then what is there left to love?"

The Kazekage shifted again.

"Now, I know that there are some exceptions. Sometimes people change, but they were probably just misguided. Or tricked. In situations like that, Love is still possible. Like the Lotus, Love can bloom again."

Gai shivered at the wind and said softly. "But Lee, has something in his head that can't go away"

"His memory might return"

"But until then…No. No I don't love him. I love his old self. But I can learn to love him again. Teach him all over again and try not to mold him into the boy I once knew. Did you love him Gaara?"

Gaara's mouth twitched. "No."

"Lying doesn't suit you"

The younger man snorted and turned around, preparing to leave.

The wind blew again, fast and angry.

"I don't think…"

Gai looked up at Gaara's back. Gaara's head seemed to be turned; he could see one green eye, drilling into him.

"I don't think blood could have made you any closer" Then he disappeared in a swirl of sand.

**End**

I forgot how I came up wit the question, but I had asked my bf one day "If I changed drastically, would u still love me?" He answered Yes. THAT IDIOT! If a person changes, everything u loved them is gone right? It's the same as saying, "I only love you for your body" So yea…he failed. My other friends failed too. Only one passed. I luv ya Paul! **Cheers** he said he'd hit me in the face if i changed, that dork, lmao!

So ask ur friends and see if they pass! XD

Laterz Dudette


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